Gronkowski apologizes for dirty hit | Video and Poll

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski has owned his hometown Buffalo Bills, and Sunday was no exception. But after the game, he had some explaining to do for another reason.

The national talking point after the Patriots’ 23-3 victory was Gronkowski’s late hit on Bills’ defensive rookie of the year candidate Tre’Davious White, which left the cornerback in concussion protocol.

Gronkowski was matched up with White down the right sideline with 4:50 to play. After both players jockeyed for position, White came up with the interception on a slightly underthrown Tom Brady pass. White was already touched down by Phillip Dorsett when Gronkowski launched himself at the defenseless player, driving his elbow into the back of White’s head.

Gronkowski was penalized for unnecessary roughness on the play but was not ejected, though the league could hand down a fine and/or suspension this week. Dean Blandino, a FOX Sports rules analyst who previously served as the NFL’s officiating director, said Gronkowski should have been thrown out of the game.

Gronkowski opened his postgame press conference by apologizing for the hit, but complained that he feels officials don’t call penalties fairly against him.

“First off, I definitely want to apologize to No. 27. I’m not in the business of that,” Gronkowski said. “It was a lot of frustration and I was really frustrated at that moment. Just happened naturally through emotions and frustrations and I just want to apologize to Tre’Davious White. I don’t really believe in the type of shots like that. But just through the frustration process, the game of football, emotions, just what happened.”

Asked why he was frustrated, Gronkowski said he felt White should have been penalized on the play.

“At the top of the route, I mean, I felt like it was a big hold at the top,” he said. “I felt like he kind of pushed me a little bit and made the play. And I just don’t understand why there wasn’t a flag. ... There was a couple of times in the game, they’re calling me for the craziest stuff ever, it’s like crazy. Like, what am I supposed to do? And then they don’t call that? It’s just frustration. That’s what happened.”

Gronkowski was flagged three other times in Sunday's game — for offensive pass interference, for offensive holding on a run block and for a false start. His four penalties on Sunday doubled his season total, according to NFLpenalties.com. They have Gronkowski for offensive pass interference two other times this season (against Carolina and Atlanta), zero times last year during an injury-plagued season and five times in 2015.

In the other locker room, Gronkowski’s apology didn’t do much to appease White’s teammates.

“I understand flames are going in the heat of the battle, but there ain’t no room in this league for that type of crap,” said Bills safety Jordan Poyer, who added that the Bills won’t forget about the play when the teams meet again later this month.

“I asked the ref why he wasn't ejected,” Poyer said. “I said, 'Anybody else makes that type of play, they're ejected.' To me, it was blatant. He WWE'd him just like he was in a wrestling ring.”

“I have never seen him do that,” veteran linebacker Lorenzo Alexander said of Gronkowski. “At the end of the day, that is a dirty play, dropping on a guy like that when he is clearly down. The play is over.”

For Gronkowski, it was a shame one play overshadowed the rest of his dominant day. He entered Sunday's game with 583 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in six career games in Buffalo, and posted his highest number of receptions (nine) and yards (147) against his hometown team, both of which were also season-highs. The only thing he didn’t do was score on a day when offense was a grind against a Bills team clawing to keep its head above water in the AFC wildcard hunt.

The win gave Tom Brady his 27th victory over the Bills — the most ever for one player against a single opponent. It was also Brady’s 14th win in Buffalo’s stadium since 2001, which tied Drew Bledsoe for the most over that span. And when Gronkowski and Brady play together, it usually spells even more trouble for the Bills, who are now 1-11 against New England when both players are in the lineup.

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